Young Photographers Win Chance to Embark on Dream Project

IdeasTap and Magnum Photos award three talented young photographers

Three gifted young photographers have been awarded £2,500 to create their dream project after winning their respective categories of the IdeasTap Photographic Award in association with Magnum Photos.

At a private viewing at the stylish new IdeasTap headquarters on Bermondsey Street, Pierfrancesco Celada from Italy won the photojournalism category with a project shot in Tokyo. Stuart Matthews topped the environmental category with a timely project on climate change in Bangladesh and Max Downer was declared the winner of the conceptual photography category with an epic series of landscape photographs.

The panel of judges, who selected the three winners from a shortlist of nine, included: Ian Berry, Award winning Magnum Photographer, Peter De Haan, IdeasTap Chief Executive, Adrian Mott, Photographer and Lecturer for the University of the Arts London and Sophie Wright, Cultural Director of Magnum Photos, London. The three category winners will go on to compete for an overall prize of an 8 week paid internship at Magnum Photos London, a week working in New York with the Magnum in Motion team and a cash prize of £5,000.

Sophie Wright, Cultural Director of Magnum Photos said
We are delighted to be working with IdeasTap on our first collaborative Photographic Award, which we believe offers something new for young photographers and their career development. This is not just an Award – this is a life changing opportunity.

Peter De Haan, Chief Executive of IdeasTap who also sat on the judging panel added:

Connecting talented young creative artists with the funding, expert advice and opportunities to transform their ideas into professional products is what IdeasTap is all about. Working with Magnum Photos we’ve identified nine hugely exciting young photographers and given them a platform to launch themselves and their work.

In the past year De Haan has invested over £100,000 in visual arts projects alone through IdeasTap, enabling activity including: an exhibition of emerging international photography, a 52-part youth-led online drama series and a multidisciplinary arts festival in the Old Vic Tunnels due to take place in February 2011.

The IdeasTap photographic award in association with Magnum Photos was launched in May 2010 when hundreds of young photographers aged 16 – 30 were invited to create a photographic essay sharing their vision of ‘Future – life after 2012′.

Nine young photographers were shortlisted to take part in the first round of the competition and create photo essays in one of three categories: photojournalism, environmental photography and conceptual photography. All finalists received expert guidance from industry professionals including mentoring from acclaimed Magnum photographers, Ian Berry, Mark Power and Stuart Franklin.

Three commercial partners, Metro Imaging, Nice View framing and Blurb Books have also supported the competition alongside Magnum Photos. They have provided professional printing and framing for the exhibition and a coffee table book will also be printed featuring all the work from the finalists. Blurb Books are also providing a £50 voucher for all shortlisted photographers.

As well as investing in young photographers The Peter De Haan Charitable Trust, also run by Peter De Haan, invests significantly in a broad range of environmental projects, including a recent £4000,000 match fund to support invertebrates across the UK.